Pro 15:4 | NET2full | STEP | Speech that heals is like a life-giving tree , but a perverse speech breaks the spirit .

‏ Proverbs 15:4

4 Speech ^{▼▼tn Heb “a tongue.” The term “tongue” is a metonymy of cause for what is produced: speech.} that heals ^{▼▼tn Heb “a tongue of healing.” A healing tongue refers to speech that is therapeutic or soothing. It is a source of vitality.} is like ^{▼▼tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.} a life-giving tree, ^{▼▼tn Heb “tree of life.”}
but a perverse speech ^{▼▼tn Heb “perversion in it.” The referent must be the tongue, representing speech, from the first line; so this has been supplied in the translation for clarity. A tongue that is twisted, perverse, or deceitful is a way of describing deceitful speech. Such words will crush the spirit.} breaks the spirit. ^{▼▼tn Heb “is a fracture in the spirit.”}